Lakers’ Kendall Marshall motivated by negativity in the fight to stay relevant

In this file photo, the Lakers' Kendall Marshall makes an errant pass behind his head as Nuggets' Kenneth Faried defends him under the basket at the Staple Center in Los Angeles, CA on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze file)

In this file photo, the Lakers' Kendall Marshall (12) shoots a fade away jump shot against the Jazz in a NBA Western Conference basketball game at the Staples Center on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, Los Angeles, Calif. The Lakers lost 79-96. (Photo by Steve McCrank/Daily Breeze file)

As he thumbs through his cell phone, Lakers guard Kendall Marshall thrives on looking at things that bother him.

Marshall reads about how he morphed from NBA first-round draft pick to a league washout. Marshall reminds himself how Phoenix selected him with the 13th selection in the 2012 NBA Draft and then traded him to Washington after two uneventful seasons.

Marshall then reflects on the Wizards cutting him before the season even started, leaving the 22-year-old former North Carolina product to play with the Delaware 87ers of the NBA’s Development League. He then scrolls through the critiques that apparently explain his fall, including his streaky shooting, his sub-par defense and his lack of quickness.

“I made a list of things in my phone and things that drive me that people said I couldn’t do,” Marshall said. “I recite those things to me every single day.”

Marshall enters the Lakers’ game Friday night against the Sacramento Kings (20-37) at Staples Center as the team’s starting point guard, shooting a fourth-league best 45.5 percent from 3-point range and dishing out 9.4 assists per game, a figure that trails only the Clippers’ Chris Paul (11.1).

But Marshall still remembers when he became irrelevant. He sent out a tweet minutes after Washington acquired veteran guard Andre Miller last week from Denver for struggling guard Eric Maynor and two second-round picks, a year after the Wizards dumped Marshall because of a bloated backcourt.

“The irony,” wrote Marshall, who then explained more to this newspaper beyond 140 characters.

“It’s the same thing when I came to L.A,” said Marshall, whom the Lakers (19-39) signed from the D-League two months ago while reeling from injuries to Kobe Bryant (left knee), Steve Nash (back), Steve Blake (right elbow) and Jordan Farmar (left hamstring). “I don’t think anybody planned on me playing 40 minutes with there being so many guards. But there ended up being none. The NBA is all about opportunity and situations. At the time, maybe they felt like there wasn’t an opportunity for me.”

Marshall has received plenty of opportunities with the Lakers, starting in 21 of his 30 appearances.

His playing time has remained intact amid the indefinite returns of Bryant and Nash, coupled with the Lakers phasing Farmar back on limited minutes to protect his hamstring. The Lakers traded Blake last week to Golden State for seldom-used guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks, revealing the organization’s hope that Marshall develops enough to warrant exercising his team option this offseason worth $915,243.

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Yet, after posting a combined five points on 30 percent shooting and 3.25 turnovers in the past four games, Marshall thrives on another source of negativity.

“Consistency is my main motivator. As a young player, I feel like that’s the main thing I struggle with,” Marshall said. “To my standards and to help my team out, I feel like I’ve played sub-par. That’s unacceptable. I have to find a way to play consistently every day.”

“That’s great to hear. It’s refreshing,” D’Antoni said. “That’s why I think he can play. He keeps trying to get better.”

The Lakers provided some suggestions.

Farmar noticed Marshall feeling uncomfortable with his reduced ball-handling role amid his return, while the primary scoring that Bazemore and Brooks have provided contrasted with the playmaking Blake showcased.

“Mentally he’s OK,” Farmar said. “That’s where it starts. He was playing pick-and-roll after pick-and-roll for 40 minutes. That’s where he was thriving. That takes his opportunities away to make plays sometimes. For us, we just have to keep playing and he has to not get down on himself.”

D’Antoni also touted Marshall’s defense as his main weakness to work on. “He’s completely right,” Marshall added.

“I need to make sure I’m engaged 100 percent of the time,” Marshall said. “I get caught ball-watching. I have to do better at that. I have to continue to use my size better, get through screens and help bigs rebound and contest shots.”

Marshall said he didn’t always think this way about his growth.

“Coming into the league, my first thought was I’ll back up Nash for a year and he might be done and I might be able to start and take over in Phoenix,” he said. “But then he gets traded. Then my thought was, ‘I’m going to start at point guard for the Phoenix Suns.’

“Then they get Goran Dragic. Then I thought I’ll play behind him for a couple of games and then take his starting spot. That didn’t happen.

“When you start trying to do that and predict, and it doesn’t go the way it goes on your mind, you’re going to be frustrated.”

Marshall channeled those feelings into sharpening his craft. He’s racked up assists amid both scoring binges and slumps. Despite having an awkward shooting stroke that entails a slow release, Marshall has both warded off defenders and spaced the floor by shooting far from the perimeter.

“Part of it came with hitting rock-bottom and being out of the league,” Marshall said. “You can’t go anywhere but up from here. They already think you can’t shoot. So you’re either going to solidify what they think or you’re going to surprise them.”

The latter scenario happened.

“Every time he shoots, you go ‘Oh my gosh,’” D’Anton said, laughing. “But it goes in. He has confidence.”

But not enough to envision what his long-term NBA prospects entails. Oh, Marshall expressed gratitude about the Lakers granting him an opportunity. He also compared the Lakers’ winning culture to his days with North Carolina. But, Marshall revealed, “anytime I try to predict the future something went wrong.”

Instead, he will continue to read the past slights he has overcome. Marshall also relishes the ones he has not tackled yet.

“That’s key. You have to evaluate where you’re weak at,” D’Antoni said. “You can’t blame other people and all that. He doesn’t do that. It’s a great quality, especially in a point guard.”